Fkemont swain



NITED STATI-3s PATENT FFICE.

FREMONT swAIN, oF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

PERCENTILE MEASUREMENT-CHART.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,017', dated March 19, 1889. Application filed April 26, 1888. Serial No. 271,891. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

.le it known that I, FREMONT SWAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in t-he county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Percentile Measurement- Charts; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in percentile measurement chartsc., charts showing the size, strength, symmetry, and development of a single individual with relation to the normal or average standard, a standard deduced from the measurements of a great number of individuals, and showing wherein said individual surpasses a certain per cent. of this large number-the object of my invention being to provide a cheap, simple, and complete chart to be used in public schools, colleges, gymnasiums, angl other similar institutions, which chart will serve as an incentive to symmetrical physical development by systematic athletic training and gymnastic exercise; also to so combine and arrange the element-ary features of the chart that the obser l vations and measurements will be in proper order to be easily and quickly made, the resulting numbers easily and accurately recorded, and their magnitudes in relation to similar measurements previously made and collected be readily determined and accurately and graphically shown, and by such combination and arrangement to obviate the liability to make errors, mistakes, and miscalculations, frequently occurring with and in consequence of the intricate and unsatisfactory methods of indicating the relative standing in size, strength, and symmetry heretofore used.

\Vith these objects in view my invention consists in the combination and arrangement upon paper or other suitable material of ments were rearranged on the basis of Weight and the weights unequaled by the various per printed or impressed lines, spaces, figures, and letters, so arranged as to form a simple and comprehensible measurement-chart, whereby the percent-ile development of an individual or lower animal may be ascertained with relation to the average standard or the standard deduced from the measurements of a great number of individuals or lower animals, all

substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

The drawings illustrate a plan view of a percentile meas urement-chart made in accordance with and embodyingmy invention-fi. e:

Figure l, Sheet l,is a plan view of a portion of the chart; Fig. l, Sheet 2, a continuation of Fig. l, and a like view; and Fig. 2, a plan view of a modification.

This chart is plotted from a reference or percentile table containing the measurements, ages, and weights, the., of a great number of individuals-say, for convenience, one thousand-which measurements were arranged in serial order on the basis of age, beginning with the youngestindividual and proceeding through gradual increase to the oldest. The youngest individual was put down as unequaled by zero per cent. The ten youngest were counted from the list. The age between measurements ten and eleven in this arrangement was put down as the age unequaled by one per cent.; between measurements twenty and twenty-one in this arrangement as that unequaled by two vper cent., and proceeding in the same manner until the twenty-five-percent. mark was found between measurement two hundred and fifty and measurement two hundred and fifty-one, and recorded, and the tifty-per-cent. mark was between five hundred and tive hundred and one. At this point, with half the measurements on one side and half on the other, occurs the mean-'z'. e., the iigure at which more observations are found than at any other, represented in the chart forming the subject-matter of this'invention by the heavy vertical line in the center and standing for the typical individual and normal development of the entire one thousand measured. Counting themeasurements andrecordin g the corresponding per cents. were carried on in precisely the same manner until the last or oldest individuals age was put down at one hundred per cent. This completed the percentile table for age. Then the measurecents. determined by counting and recorded as before. When this process ofl calculation had been. completed for each measurement in the chart and the resulting tables arranged -in a convenient form, everything was ready for plotting the relation in age, size, strengthyand development ol' any individual who had been measured and tested in. the same manner as those whose measurements compose the table, io those who compose the table-il e., to the normal standard ot that class.

These percentile tables are and may be oi various forms, and any i'orm may be used to advantage with myimproved chart; and in view ol this fact it is deemed unnecessary to more l'ully explain the arrangement and system ot calculations from which the normal or average standard for certain measurements olf certain parts ot' the body are derived. Knowing the standards for the different ages, weights, and measurements, whether from memory or having tables of reference, we can now proceed to plot the relative standing of the mtatsurements oi asingleindividual upon the chart hereinafter described, and thereby show in what measurements and tests and to what extent, as expressed in per cent., he or she excels or surpasses the entire number whose measuremei'its were used in making up the percentile or ret'ereiiee tables.

'lhe chart A, preferably ot' paper, is ruled or printed to form the main vertical lines A l t l) E l?, which are heavy, so as to be easily distinguishable Afrom the balance of the vertical lines. At the top and bottom and connecting these vertical lines are liiorder-lines G ll, and intermediate between the lines G ll, and dividing' the space equally, are a series ot' horizontal dotted or laint lines, 7a.', which bisect the vertical lines, and preferably extend from the vertical .line D to the vertical line l?.

ln the space l, between the vertical lines C l) and on a line with the horizontal dotted lines, is printed,in rotatitnnthe number, date, age, weight, height, girth, depth, breadth, length, lung capacity, strength, development, muscular condition, vision, hearing, pilosit-y, color, and the names ot' the parts at which the measureimi-nts are taken under the head to which it belongs-as, for instance, under the head oi. Breadth comes head, neck, shoulders, waist, hips, chest, and nipples.

ln the two s] races .l l, between the vertical lines A l (i, which isheaded Measurements, are placed the iigures which represent the dil'ierent measurements ol' the di'tlerent parts of the individual measured, which measurements are placed in the said cohnnns or spaces o i a line with the name in the space l representing the part at which the observation or measurement was taken, the space .l at the extreme left representing the measurements first taken and the adjacent space K at the right representing t-he second measurements. Both oi' these spaces .l K have a vertical dividing-lined 7.", to form a decimal column or space, Z', between said lines and the heavy vertical lines l5 C, as shown.

Dividing the spaces between and formed bythe heavy vertical lines D E F are a series oi? parallel vertical lines, d c', which are arranged etpiidistant, the ones d being at the left and the ones c being at the right of the vertical line E, which line is substantially centrai between the two lines l) F, there being tive vertical. lines at the right and tive at the left ot' said line E, which vertical lines are the dividing` per-cent. lines, the one l') being the minimum or zero and the one l? being the maximum or one-hundredper-eent. lines, and the central line, E, being the titty-percent. or normal or typical line-f2'. c., the line that is represented at each part or measurement by a larger per cent. ot' the persons examined than is any other vertical line.

At the tops and bottoms oil the vertical lines from l) to F, inclusive, are marked in rotation, from left to right, 0%, l0%, 20%, 55000, 4(O%, 50%, (50%, 70%, 30%, 90%, and 10000.

For convenience in plotting the measure ments of an individual the spaces between per-cent. lines are subdivided by a meridian line and dots, the dots between per-cent. lilies being preferably a distance apart equivz'llent to one per cent.

The top of the page or sheet upon which the chart is printed has thereon a recordblank, such as- Measured by.. Recorded by. Plotted by. First First First Sscond Second Second Having described the arrangement oil. the chart, I will now proceed to describe the manner of its use in plotting the measurement ot an individual.

The diiTerent parts ot' the body are measured and the measurements oli' the said parts are separately recorded in the column J on a line with the name in column l. represent-ing that part, and so on until all or as many as desired ot' the measurements are taken and recorded in their proper places. rlhen the percentile tables are consulted to see to what extent the measureinei'its of the diiterent parts of this individual surpass those of the great number of individuals from which the percentile table is made up.

L, is drawn horizontally from the line l), opposite the name of the part in column l at which the observation is taken, out to a point. on one or between two ot the vertical lines representing the per cent. this part surpasses, and so on untilas many oit the measurements as is desired have been compared to the percentile tables, and each part has its horizontal line drawn to the proper per-cent. lineindieating the per cent. of the measurements of the table this part surpasses.

The second measurements are taken in the same manner, the figures representing the measurements being recorded in their proper places in column K, and horizontal lines drawn parallel to the first horizontal lilies in a different-colored ink to the proper per-cent. line.

It' desired, the numbers representing the per cents. m/ay be inserted or marked Aupon After this per cent. is ascertained a black or colored line,

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the spaces or lines in the body of the chart at the extreme ends of the horizontal or percent. indicating lines L, which marking will permit any one to read the per cent. without running up the columns to the top of the page, in which the linesL terminate; Therefore I do not desire to limit myself to the location of igures simply at the tops or bottoms of the vertical lines.

Vhile the primary object of my improved g chart is to show to what extent the measurements of a single individual surpass those of a great number by means of the horizontal lines L, extending from the line and opposite to the various measurements to points on or between the vertical lines representing the per cents., other important objects are also attained. Symmetry or evenness of development is shown by the measurement-lines L being of the same length, and vice versa. Comparison between the various heights and lengths shows to what elements the stature is du e, between the various girths shows whether the subject has run to head, body, or limbs and to bones or iiesh, while comparisons between weight and height, the depths and breadths, the measurements proper, and the strengths, the characteristics of the body as recorded in the chart and as proved by the workshop, the gymnasium, and the playground, are some of those which will prove at once easy and interesting to the student.

In Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is shown a modification of my chart. In this chart the measurementfigures which constitute the percentile tables are placed in the proper per-cent. space or upon the per-cent. lines in the body of the chart, as designated by the two rows of iigures in Fig. 2, and the horizontal lines drawn form the names in column I to the number corresponding to the measurement of that part of the individual measured. By this form I can dispense with the two measurement-columns J K.

I claiml. The percentile measurement-chart A, having the columns J K, for recording the measurements, and the spaces for indicating by per cent. the relative magnitude of the measurements, with a column of names of the parts measured printed between them, substantially as shown and described.

2. The percentile measurement-chart A, having the two measurement-columns J K, the title-column I, or column in which the names of the parts measured are printed, and per-cent. spaces andlines, with per-cent. indicating marks or iigures at their upper ends, in combination with the horizontal lines L, to indicate the magnitude of the measurements drawn from column I to a space or a line in the body of the chart indicating the per cent. equaled or surpassed by said measurement, substantially as shown and described.

3. The percentile measurement-chart A, having three vertical lines, D E F, thereon, representing the minimum, maximum, and

average or mean per cents. as described, with the per-cent. spaces between them, subdivided so that th e intermediate per-cent. spaces and lines are equidistant and proportional throughout, substantially as shown and specified.

4;. In a percentile measurement-chart, A, having suitable measurement-recording columns, J K, a column representing the names of the measurements, and a series of lines and spaces marked with per-cent. iigures to-designate the magnitude of the measurements, in combination with a line or lines, L, drawn from and in a line with the different measurements to a line or space in the chart representing the per cent. that measurement equals or surpasses, substantially as shown and described.

5. The percentile measurement-chart A, having the numbers representing the measurements which occur in the percentile table printed in the body of the chart between the lines D F in the per-cent. spaces, or upon the lines representing the per cents. substantially as shown and specified.

(i. A percentile measurement-chart consisting of the printed sheet A, having the two measurement-columns J K, divided to form the decimal-column l, the title-column I, or column in which the names of the parts are printed, the vertical per-cent. lines D E F, and the subdividing lines d e at the left and right of the meridian or typical line E, and

horizontal lines L, extending from' the column I in aline with the names of the parts therein to any per-cent. line or space between percent. lines in the body ot the chart, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

7 A percentile measurement-chart, A, having a suitable title thereon, and having the two vertical columns J K divided by the decimal-lin es j 7a', in which to record the measurements, the column I, having the number, date, age, weight, height, and names representing the kinds of measurements and the different parts of the body measured therein, the heavy vertical per-cent. lines D E F, representing the minimum, the medium or typical, and the maximum per cents., respectively, and the subdividing per-cent. lines d e and the percent. marks thereon, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

8. The chart A, having a suitable title and heading, as shown, and ruled or printed to form the two vertical measurement-columns J K, the descriptive or name column I, and per-cent. lines D E F d e, with the per-cent. iigures thereon, the horizontal bisecting lines h', and the horizontal measurement-lines L thereon, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described. Y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREMONT SIVAIN. [L s] Witnesses:

N. E. O. WHITNEY, Jos. A. MINTURN.

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